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'Lack of evidence' found in West Northamptonshire Council leader inquiry

BBC Jonathan Nunn in suit against a brick wallBBC
Jonathan Nunn has been the leader of West Northamptonshire Council since it was formed in 2021

A council has said domestic violence allegations against its leader were not pursued owing to a "lack of evidence".

Opposition politicians have called on Jonathan Nunn, the leader of Conservative-controlled West Northamptonshire Council, to resign.

They said his position was untenable following claims about him in an article in the magazine Private Eye.

Mr Nunn said the current allegations of abuse were "unfounded".

He has said publicly that he received a community order following a conviction of assault 20 years ago.

An independent councillor attempted to raise concerns about Mr Nunn at a recent full council meeting, but was not permitted to do so.

The council has now said that a number of allegations were considered by the deputy monitoring officer, but none were referred owing to a lack of evidence.

One Angel Square, West Northamptonshire Council HQ with steel and glass facade
West Northamptonshire Council, based at Angel Square in Northampton, said it could not investigate hearsay

The authority added: "The issue the council faced in receiving these allegations was just that they are allegations and they have not been investigated by the police as a criminal matter or proven.

"We cannot make a judgement or investigate hearsay or reported events and conversations we were not party to."

In a statement, the council added that councillors were only disqualified from standing for office if they had been sentenced to imprisonment of three months or more during the five years before polling day.

It added: "The law therefore does allow [Mr] Nunn and others with convictions to stand for office. This is based on the premise that those convicted of offences are encouraged to put their criminal past behind them."

Wendy Randall with long brown hair and glasses standing outside office building
The Labour group leader Wendy Randall said Mr Nunn's position as council leader was now untenable

The authority also pointed out that Mr Nunn made a public statement in the press about his conviction in 2016 and was elected as council leader five years later.

Mr Nunn has said that he believes an individual is seeking to discredit him and "this has included unfounded accusations of abuse through emails sent to many people and now to the media".

The Labour and Liberal Democrat groups on the council have called on him to step down.

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